\u201cThere\u2019s people that don\u2019t learn from their mistakes, people that do learn from their mistakes, and people who learn from other peoples\u2019 mistakes \u2014 I want to be the third one.\u201d\n- Nick Onken\nHello, all, and welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio) where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. My main goal is to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I love bringing inspiring guests on the podcast for some perspective on these subjects we tackle, but today I\u2019ve got a great solo episode for you guys.\xa0\n\nTime moves so fast when you\u2019re constantly enhancing your life and living creatively. When was the last time you looked back on your year as it closed and took into account all the important things you learned and changes you made? I know, life gets busy and it can be difficult to slow down and just think about everything you learned throughout the year, but it really puts things in perspective when you reflect.\xa0\n\nIn today\u2019s episode, that\u2019s exactly what I\u2019m doing \u2014 I\u2019m going to take you on a journey through my own self-reflection and share some of the most important things I\u2019ve learned about myself along the way.\xa0\n\nI\u2019ll be honest with you guys, this year hasn\u2019t been easy. There are a lot of ups and downs, but you know what? Such is the life of a creative entrepreneur and I wouldn\u2019t trade the life I have for anything. My hope is that by sharing all these things I learned, you can benefit and learn from them as well and level up your creativity and life.\xa0\n\nI\u2019m so excited to share what I\u2019ve got in store for you guys today, so without any further delay, let's jump right into the 21 of the most important lessons I\u2019ve learned after reflecting on my life.\nCreativity\nIf you\u2019ve been here before, you might have guessed what my first topic was going to cover. I can\u2019t argue that I try my best to live a creative life and inspire others to do the same whenever I can.\xa0\n\nI want to start off this list by acknowledging that there are three types of people in this world \u2014 those that don\u2019t learn from their mistakes, those that do learn from their mistakes, and those that learn from others\u2019 mistakes. While I try to be the third person, too often do I find myself as the second person \u2014 and that\u2019s okay! We are never going to have all the answers in life.\xa0\n\nSo how do you get the answers? Well, you learn from the mistakes you make, and you keep going.\xa0\n\nI just want you all to know that you have a choice. You have the ability to choose which person you want to be. You are not destined to keep repeating the same mistakes throughout your life without learning from them. You can choose to observe the world around you and learn from the mistakes that others make.\xa0\nNever Stop Creating Yourself\nYou get to design your own life, and it\u2019s a process that never truly ends. When you think of creators, you think of painters, designers, and artists. In reality, we are all creators. We\u2019re the creators of our own lives and of ourselves.\xa0\n\nI like to think of this as a life mantra, the idea that we get to create the life we want, right down to every detail. You create the person you want to be \u2014 in relationships, in your job, in every aspect of your life. In much the same way that I\u2019ve utilized photography as a tool to get where I\u2019m at today, you have the ability to create the person you want to be in this world.\xa0\nCreativity is a Choice\nEverything in life comes down to a choice. We have the choice to be who we want to be and become the best version of ourselves. When life gets you down and forces you into a hole of sadness or depression, you have the choice to either stay there or keep moving forward.\xa0\n\nYou are not going to be miraculously lifted from a dark place in life, you have to actively and consciously choose to take steps to get yourself out, connect with people, and live creatively.\xa0\nCreative Capital is Currency\nSomething I\u2019ve learned is that the art I create is currency...